The power of imagination
by RoadrunnerGER
Summary: Being offered a oneshot for her birthday Galadriel1010 requested Jack and Ianto being snuggle bunnies... Well, you know Jack... Janto obviously.


**The power of imagination**

a Torchwood story

by RoadrunnerGER

_Disclaimer_: I don't own anything Torchwood. This is just for fun…

A/N: Sorry, Galadriel, that it took so long to write this. I was willing, the muse was not. I'm glad she returned, enabling me to finish this. Happy very belated birthday! Special thanks to my beta reader _mandassina_. Enjoy!

xXx

Being outside, enjoying the last rays of sunlight, was a rare luxury. Both Jack and Ianto relished such moments, knowing from experience how little personal time working for Torchwood left.

They sat at one of the picnic tables by the bay, having Chinese dinner that they picked up on their way over. Along with their meal and each other's company they enjoyed a lovely view across to Mermaid Quay and the wharfs.

Sighing Ianto put his chopsticks down and pushed the carton aside.

"There's no way I can eat more. You meant it too well when you placed the order."

"Yeah?" Jack mumbled around a mouthful of noodles with pork Szechwan. In one hand he held the chopsticks, in the other a big prawn cracker.

"Yes," Ianto nodded, looking over the assortment of food boxes piled on the table. "This would've been enough for the whole team."

Swallowing Jack pouted, "I'm hungry," and bit off a piece of the cracker.

"You can't be hungry anymore," Ianto shook his head. "You had enough for both of us."

Jack shrugged.

"Don't complain when you get sick later."

"I won't."

Ianto snorted. "That'd be a new one, Jack Harkness not complaining."

"I won't get sick."

"We'll see."

Abandoning his dinner Jack came around the table. Straddling the bench he scooted up to Ianto and put his chin on his shoulder.

"I won't get sick," he promised in a pleading sound, wooing for Ianto's forgiveness. Raising his right hand to the back of Ianto's neck, he played with the dark curls.

"Jack, don't," Ianto admonished him with a furtive look sideways. Just a few yards away another couple occupied a picnic table of their own.

"Why?" Jack murmured close to his ear. "Are you uncomfortable with me?"

"No, Jack," Ianto whispered back.

"But you don't like me expressing my feelings for you in public," Jack pouted.

_Feelings?_ Ianto was stunned.

"That's… not it."

"Yes, it is," Jack grunted. "You're uncomfortable with me showing my affection for you."

Ianto squirmed, knowing Jack was not entirely wrong. Partially that was due to the fact that Jack never was willing to express his true emotions before, leaving Ianto in the dark. So he was uncertain about how to react when Jack actually did it.

"That's because it's drifting, cariad."

"Drifting?" Jack queried with honest confusion.

"Your showing affection could drift right into harassment, cariad," Ianto told him with one of the half smiles that Jack loved so much. "You're blurring the borders."

Shifting a little closer Jack kissed Ianto's cheek.

"They're not looking, Ianto," he murmured seductively. "They're showing their affection to each other themselves."

Furtively Ianto glanced at the couple where he just sat down beside her, breathing a kiss on her cheek before he fed her a strawberry. Smiling to himself Ianto watched how they were flirting.

_We're doing just the same,_ he thought. _I wouldn't have argued with Lisa about kissing publicly. So why did I argue with Jack? It's a kiss for heaven's sake! I shouldn't argue._

Ianto was infinitely conscious of Jack's closeness, knowing his lover just waited for a chance to steal another sign of affection.

_Affection! What the hell am I thinking about? I love him!_

Turning his head he reciprocated Jack's with a kiss of his own. It was no surprise that Jack responded eagerly.

"I won't ask what changed your mind," Jack murmured. "I'll just enjoy it."

"Shut up."

Sharing more kisses Ianto began to relax. Jack's fingers still threaded in his hair, toying with the strands and teasing the skin. Jack's other hand rested on Ianto's thigh and while they intensified their kisses Jack began to caress his lover there as well, slowly moving between his legs.

"Jack…" Ianto groaned against Jack's lips.

"What?"

"Let's take it slowly," Ianto murmured.

"I'm not for slowly."

"I noticed."

Ianto further noticed how Jack tickled his right ear, distracting him from his other hand finding its way to his core. Heat coursed through Ianto's body, gathering in his stomach and groin. His excitement rose and he had to force himself to break the kiss.

"Spoilsport," Jack whispered against his cheek.

Ianto twisted in Jack's embrace, leaning his back against his lover's chest and stretching his right leg out on the bench. Jack chuckled.

"Feeling cuddly?"

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all…" Jack drawled, "…as long as it's eventually going to lead to more…"

That amused Ianto. _Jack's insatiable._

Pulling his other leg up as well, Ianto leaned more heavily against Jack and felt his lover's arms slip around him. Jack's hair tickled his ear when the captain rested his chin on Ianto's shoulder.

Furtively the Welshman watched the other couple that seemed to be oblivious to possible onlookers and took his cue. Turning his head he kissed Jack's cheek.

"Mmm, my beautiful lover from the future," Ianto murmured. "You saw and will see so many wonders."

"Like you," Jack whispered. "I love you."

Ianto choked. There they were. The three words Ianto had never expected to hear from Jack. He could hear the sincerity in his voice and felt a chill run down his spine.

"It's true, Ianto," Jack said. "And I'll show it whenever I feel like showing it. I hesitated for way too long. I don't want to hide us."

"I don't want to hide us, either, cariad," Ianto chided gently. "It's just…"

"If you say _complicated_ you're gonna clean up after the weevils for two weeks."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" Ianto chuckled and reached up to caress Jack's cheek. Stubble tickled his fingertips. "I love you, too."

When Jack returned his kiss Ianto felt conscious about the other couple again.

_Stop it!_ Ianto ordered himself. _This should be the easiest part!_

Once more Ianto allowed Jack to kiss him. As he did Jack put all his skill into the kiss. He knew what Ianto was not saying and his heart ached at the knowledge. One day Ianto would be gone and leave Jack behind. Jack also knew that Ianto was content with him, content with his life, accepting what it included. He was not scared anymore. Jack, though, was scared shitless. He did not want to lose him. Subconsciously he used his kiss to push vortex energy into his lover.

"Jack, don't," Ianto moaned his complaint against Jack's lips.

"Don't what?"

"Tease my nipple," Ianto grunted. "We're not alone."

Jack huffed.

"The twenty-first century is so inhibited."

"The usual," Ianto chuckled lowly. "You'll never get tired complaining about that, will you?"

"Nope."

Ianto could feel Jack's grin against his lips when Jack stole another kiss.

_Ianto, you came to terms with the conditions of this mad liaison_, he told himself, _now it's time to come to terms with Jack. He will never share your inhibitions, and he's only asking you to loosen up a little. Enough that he can show his affection in public without you acting like you're ashamed. If he can risk loving you, you can grant him that much, at the very least_.

"So…" he murmured, snuggling deeper in the embrace, "…tell me what you'd do if I wasn't so… inhibited."

Jack chuckled. "Can't you guess?"

"I have a vivid imagination," Ianto shrugged. Behind him he could sense Jack's excitement push against the small of his back. "But I want you to describe it to me."

"Hmmm, that's hard to decide."

"Oh, really?" Ianto laughed quietly.

"So many options…" Jack trailed off, wrapping his left arm around the Welshman's waist and holding him tight as if he was afraid his lover would vanish. With his right hand he caressed Ianto's left cheek. From there his fingertips slowly trailed to his ear, tracing the concha and toying with the earlobe, before they wandered down Ianto's neck. They found the necklace and fingered the silver pearls on it.

"I loved this at once," Jack murmured.

"Oh?"

"Yep. It caught my attention even before I could take in the rest." Jack recalled, his voice taking on a dreamy note. "Even before the coffee."

"The coffee?" For a moment Ianto was confused.

"When you intercepted me outside the tourist office," Jack chuckled. "You were dressed much like tonight, sprayed on jeans, white dress shirt, black leather jacket… leather necklace with silver beads…"

"Oh!"

Ianto could feel his cheeks heat up and wondered how red they glowed now even though he was not even sure why he was embarrassed. _Because he just reminded me of how I stalked him into hiring me? Going to the length of trying to seduce him, just to get the job and with it a chance to help Lisa?_

Sadness threatened to ruin the mood but the moment passed quickly. It had taken some time to accept Lisa's death but even though she would always hold a special place in his heart thoughts of her did not paralyze Ianto anymore.

_I guess it's more because I actually made an impression with it. Sure, it added to the casual look and yes, it was supposed to signal availability, but… heck! I didn't expect him to remember it this vividly!_

"Sometimes the small things are what stay in mind," Jack said as if he had read Ianto's thoughts. "You wanted me to notice how pretty you are, didn't you?"

"Y-yes," Ianto stuttered, stunned at how suddenly his mouth went dry.

Once more Jack chuckled. "I noticed that at the park already… even though I was busy with the weevil." After a short pause he continued in a sultry voice, "If it wasn't for the sedated creature I could've pushed you up against the next tree right there and then."

Ianto's breath caught in his chest and he felt a strong pull in his groin at the idea. Surprised he racked his mind about why this scenario appeared to be so hot all of a sudden. Whenever they went _weevil hunting_ before they stayed in the relative safety of the SUV because Ianto could never bring himself to go along with Jack's ideas of spicing up their sex life. The car was the most adventurous location Ianto was prepared to accept.

Now he unexpectedly experienced a rush of arousal.

Beside him Jack expressed his amusement with quiet laughter. "I take it the idea's not that appalling anymore?" he queried before he nuzzled Ianto's neck.

"Um…"

Ianto gasped for breath when Jack sucked on the spot his lips had just teased before, leaving a love bite when he lifted his head again.

"J-jack." Ianto's lips trembled. His gaze drifted to the couple at the other table. They still appeared to be oblivious.

"Doesn't it excite you to imagine being intimate with me while they're still present?" Jack queried, lust carrying in his voice.

Knowing for sure that it definitely was exciting for Jack, Ianto shuddered. His partner loved having an audience. Ianto on the other hand was scared by the mere idea. Again he looked at the couple and imagined Jack doing more than just caressing him…

…and felt his core strive.

_What the heck?_

"Just imagine," Jack murmured close to his ear, "that I'm unbuttoning your shirt. I'm taking my time, ever so slowly fumbling the button through the hole. One button after the other. You can feel the fabric brush against your skin, but I won't touch you. Not yet. I've reached the fourth button. Only one more to go. I'm waiting, heightening the anticipation. It seems to take forever until the last button slips through. I'm pushing your shirt open, revealing your chest. Ready to be touched. I'm still refusing to touch, though, just looking at you, drinking in the sight, marvelling at what lies ahead."

Intently Ianto listened to Jack's hypnotic voice, never taking his eyes off the couple. He could feel Jack caress his neck, toy with the necklace, and smooth his fingers purposefully across his shoulder.

The motion reminded Ianto of what Jack had tried to convince him to do earlier and he took a deep, calming breath. The Welshman could not help but wonder if he would sense his chest press into the harness around his torso now if he had granted Jack his wish.

_Red rope,_ Ianto recalled. _Because Jack loves me in red._

They had dabbled in bondage before. By now Ianto was familiar with Jack's padded leather cuffs. They had also tried rope. It had been nothing spectacular, but still it had made Ianto pretty anxious. Once his wrists were tied to the bedposts Jack had used rope to tease his lover. He went slowly, knowing how new everything was to Ianto, giving him enough time to adjust and settle into the sensory play. In the end Ianto found that he could enjoy it despite his fear that it might remind him of previous, work related experiences. So Ianto knew the challenging touch of rope, but not the sensation of being tied erotically. Tensing his muscles he tried to imagine how tactile the rope harness might be.

"If you would've allowed me to tie the harness I could trace the rope now," Jack went on. "Though, first I'd admire the sight. The red contrasting your skin would be exciting. It would make me want to touch you and I could hardly resist, so I'd do it. I would start at the neck and follow it to the first diamond. Your skin would be more sensitive now when I touch it inside the pattern and tease your pecs that tense under my attention..."

They did indeed.

Ianto took a shuddering little breath.

And still Ianto kept watching. The woman now sat on her partner's lap, her skirt bunched up. Did he want to imagine what it could be hiding from plain sight? Ianto was pretty certain that he blushed at the idea. He heard her giggle as she bounced up and down. Then she slid off his thighs and pulled him up from the bench. They gathered their stuff and hurried to their car.

Now Jack and Ianto were alone except for the seagulls.

To Ianto's astonishment he was disappointed.

"Slowly my finger would circle to your nipple. It's already hard and erect when I reach it."

Impressed Ianto noted how his chest prickled even though there was no actual touch. Without the couple distracting him he perceived Jack's voice as even more hypnotic.

"I would tickle it, and press it in to your chest again and again, already driving you crazy, and that's even before I'd knead it between my fingertips. It's so hard by then that I can hardly keep myself from moving around and closing my lips around it. Sucking on it would heighten our arousal respectively. You'd breathe much faster now. Erratically. You'd be gasping when I pinch your nipples…"

In response Ianto sucked in a sharp breath at the exquisite pain in his chest. When he glanced down, though, he saw that Jack's arm still wrapped around his waist and his shirt still was closed. All Jack did was caress his left shoulder and the side of his neck. It was enough to send shivers across Ianto's skin.

"You'd be arching your back and moaning when my fingers trail further down to the diamond around your belly button. I'd tickle along the rope before I'd dip into the hole. You'd curl slightly up, pressing into my embrace. You'd feel me breathing hard along with you. My breath would wash over your skin, raising goosebumps…"

Said goosebumps settled on Ianto's back and ran down his legs. His stomach muscles tensed to the point that they fluttered when Jack moved his arm and brushed against Ianto's belly. Jack's low chuckle hit his ear and excitement flashed like a bolt of lightning through his whole body.

"I'd make a comment about the couple at the neighbouring table which would make you infinitely conscious of where you are and what I'm doing to you."

Ianto was caught breathless at that idea. He shuddered and glanced at the table that now was deserted. Recalling how he had last seen her sit on his lap, bouncing, grinning challengingly at her partner, not quite prepared to go through with the dare as she urged him to a quick retreat.

_Other people might have stayed,_ Ianto thought. _Some would even have produced themselves in front of an audience. Not unlike Jack._ Inwardly he chuckled. _Though Jack's in a class of his own._

_What the hell am I scared of anyway? Isn't Jack being willing to show the true emotions __that__ I am yearning for? I know how he is. He's got other ways of expressing his feelings than what I'm used to. It's time for me to accept that or we won't ever truly be together._

Ianto closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He relaxed and even while his breaths became more regular his heartbeat seemed to accelerate, pulsing against the onset of his throat.

"Carefully I'd unbuckle your belt," Jack murmured. "Now I could reach the button of your jeans that I slowly fumble open. The zipper would be next. I would be able to reach in now, caressing your cock through the fabric of your pants. I would feel it swell in my hand until I could not resist anymore."

Ianto also could hardly withstand Jack's words and his power of imagination making him feel as if Jack was actually touching him. In reality the captain kept his hands to himself for once.

"I would slip my hand into your pants and find the soft skin. It would be so smooth under my fingertips when I let them run along your length. I'd tease the tip before I'd wrap my hand around you and…"

Jack trailed off, leaving Ianto hanging on the brink of eruption.

It took a long moment for Ianto to realize that Jack had stopped talking. Opening his eyes he took in the darkening sky, the last sunlight dancing on the waves in the bay, and the seagulls soaring above, all the while trying to regain control over his heavy breathing. Only slowly he became aware of what had happened and anger mingled with his arousal.

"And?" Ianto prodded hoarsely.

As if he had turned a switch Jack straightened behind him and his voice sounded delighted and cheerful when he continued, "and I'd throw you onto this picnic table and make you scream for more."

If Jack had intended to bring Ianto down from the peak he was mistaken. All he achieved was that the Welshman felt betrayed but determined.

"I knew your mouth was skilled," Ianto panted, "just not that it could be so articulate."

At that Jack laughed softly.

"I take it you enjoyed it?" he prodded.

"I did," Ianto agreed, pushing his backside against Jack's groin. This time it was Jack's turn to gasp.

_Serves him right,_ Ianto silently cheered with wry satisfaction. _Turning me on like this only to back out. I should pay him back in his own coin._ Seeing Jack's grimace he realized, though, that he would not be able to do that. Abandoning any last doubts Ianto sweetly asked, "Something wrong, cariad?"

"No…" Jack moaned. "E-everything's all right."

"You sure?" Ianto asked, squirming a little more, turning Jack's breathing into groans. "Maybe you should relieve whatever pains you."

Sneering at his Welshman Jack drawled, "Be careful what you wish for. I might be game."

Leaning even closer Ianto whispered into Jack's ear, "So am I."

**The End**


End file.
